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mohogany225's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
lavinia_'s review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jessifanfic's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
elizabethkerr's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
lesserjoke's review against another edition
2.0
This novel can't decide whether it wants to be a spy thriller or a farce, two impulses which develop at cross purposes in my opinion. It's very coincidence-heavy and full of frustrating implausibilities, beginning with the plucky heroine who falls in love with a man after a single conversation and decides to make her way from England to Iraq to find him again without even knowing his last name, inevitably getting wrapped up in espionage shenanigans in the process. Elsewhere, a secret agent running for his life enters a room in disguise and recognizes an old classmate, whom he's able to alert via tapping out a message in Morse code under the nose of the enemy operative there seeking him (who apparently missed that particular day of lessons).
It's all a bit of a lark, with nonsensical plot twists making it hard to invest in any angle of the story. And while author Agatha Christie avoids the overt antisemitism found in some of her other works, such prejudice still feels implied in her characterization of the villainous group here, a shadowy cabal pulling strings to manipulate capitalists and communists into fighting one another and who are described as non-Christian "antichrists" of no national allegiance. Even taken at face value as mere sinister goofiness, the premise is too absurd to accept as drama yet too contrived to be read effectively as comedy instead.
[Content warning for gun violence and racism.]
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It's all a bit of a lark, with nonsensical plot twists making it hard to invest in any angle of the story. And while author Agatha Christie avoids the overt antisemitism found in some of her other works, such prejudice still feels implied in her characterization of the villainous group here, a shadowy cabal pulling strings to manipulate capitalists and communists into fighting one another and who are described as non-Christian "antichrists" of no national allegiance. Even taken at face value as mere sinister goofiness, the premise is too absurd to accept as drama yet too contrived to be read effectively as comedy instead.
[Content warning for gun violence and racism.]
Like this review?
--Throw me a quick one-time donation here!
https://ko-fi.com/lesserjoke
--Subscribe here to support my writing and weigh in on what I read next!
https://patreon.com/lesserjoke
--Follow along on Goodreads here!
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6288479-joe-kessler
--Or click here to browse through all my previous reviews!
https://lesserjoke.home.blog
emaciated_dragon's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ginbob2000's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
pompompurinworlds's review against another edition
3.0
okay conspiracy!
meh idk it was a fun setting but im just not a mystery girly
meh idk it was a fun setting but im just not a mystery girly
jen228nye's review against another edition
4.0
It has been some time since I have read an Agatha Christie novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it. A rollicking tale, with a compelling heroine.